1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a knee protection device, and more particularly, to a device that includes an outer protection foam layer and an inner comfort foam layer, and wraps 360 degrees about a knee of a user to protect the knee and proximal tibia without pinching the back portion of the user's leg.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Knee protectors are well known and have a myriad of users including but not limited to construction workers such as cement finishers, sport participants and household project participants. The knee protectors are generally constructed of a relatively rigid, non-deformable outer member such as plastic to protect the knee from foreign objects, and a pad member with linear resistance characteristics on the inside of the rigid outer member that engages the knee to provide comfort to the user when the knee protector is strapped about knee portion of the user's leg. Alternatively, prior art knee protectors are fabricated from a foam pad inserted in a pocket in an annular elastic band that slides upon the knee portion of a user's leg when the user inserts his or her foot through the aperture in the annular elastic band.
A problem with the prior art knee protectors is that they do not include progressive resistance padding to provide increasing force attenuation characteristics as the padding is increasingly compressed, thereby providing more comfort to the user. Another problem with prior art knee protectors is that they do not include ergonomic curves in the straps that encircle the back portion of the knee to prevent the strap from pinching corresponding portions of the user's leg when the user is wearing the knee protector. Yet another problem with the prior art knee protectors is that they do not include a wrap member that detachably secures about the knee portion such that the elements of the knee protector that detachably join together are ultimately disposed proximate to a back portion of the knee. Still another problem with the prior art knee protectors is that they do not protect a back portion or a side portion of the knee from foreign objects that could engage the back portion or a side portion of the knee during normal use of the knee protector after the knee protector is secured to the user's knee.